Journal of Applied Science & Process Engineering

Exploring Oil Palm Fruit Pulp for Direct Biodiesel Production via In-Situ Transesterification

2025-03-19T09:10:06+08:00

Conventional biodiesel production from palm oil requires separate extraction and transesterification steps, leading to increased costs and complexity. This study introduces an innovative in-situ transesterification method utilizing oil palm pulp, eliminating the need for oil extraction and simplifying the production process, which ultimately reduces costs. The effects of catalyst type, methanol-to-pulp ratio, and hexane addition on biodiesel yield were systematically evaluated. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed to confirm the biodiesel purity and assess the composition. Results showed that sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄) outperformed sodium hydroxide (NaOH) due to reduced soap formation, which hindered phase separation. The highest biodiesel yield of 38.79% was achieved at 75°C, using 3 wt% sulphuric acid, a 2:1 methanol-to-pulp ratio (ml:g), and a 24-hour reaction time, with no hexane addition. The presence of hexane as a co-solvent had minimal impact on biodiesel yield. This study demonstrates a cost-effective, simplified process for biodiesel production from oil palm pulp, offering significant potential for scaling up production. Future research could focus on conducting a detailed cost analysis and exploring the scalability of the in-situ process to validate its commercial viability.

From Peel to Paper: Nutritional Characterization and Biodegradable Paper Production from Musa Paradisiaca Banana Peels

2025-04-10T18:17:38+08:00

Musa Paradisiaca is a variety of bananas used mainly for cooking instead of being consumed fresh. The peel of bananas, which is frequently seen as a byproduct, holds valuable nutritional and industrial potential. The nutritional banana peel can be applied and transformed into a beneficial product. This research aimed to characterise the nutritional content of the banana peel of Musa Paradisiaca and produce paper from it. The banana peel was analysed for its nutritional content across different ripening stages. The results showed that the nutritional content in the banana peel varies depending on the maturity stages, with unripe peels having the highest dry matter and fat content, ripe peels having the highest moisture, crude fibre, and protein content, and overripe peels having the highest ash content. Moreover, the total sugar content increases during the ripe stage due to enzymatic conversion to starch, and the total phenolic content of the ripe peel is at 7.93 mg GAE/g, indicating strong antioxidant properties in the peel. The paper made from the ripe peel is pale yellow with a rough texture and moderate flexibility compared to regular paper. Furthermore, ATR-FTIR analysis of the derived paper indicates that the presence of functional groups contributes to the paper’s structural integrity. Additionally, the tensile strength of the paper exhibited moderate tensile strength and rigidity. The study indicated a 36.9% weight loss after 10 days in a soil burial experiment, indicating rapid biodegradation of derived paper from ripe Musa Paradisiaca peel.

Development of Palm Kernel/Nanoparticles Surfactant and Study of Adsorption Behavior, Interfacial Tension Reduction and Wettability Alteration

2025-04-11T15:43:30+08:00

Nanofluid is a promising technique for crude oil extraction in reservoirs by changing the interfacial tension (IFT) and wettability. This study aims to evaluate the capability of the nanofluid comprising palm kernel bio-surfactant (PS) and SiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs). The PS incorporated with the SiO₂NPs revealed significant adsorption at various operation conditions. The optimal adsorption parameters of the palm kernel surfactant nanoparticles (PSNP) were found to be 120 minutes contact time, 0.2 %wt SiO₂NPs dosage, 40 ^oC temperature, pH 9, and 3 % PS concentration. The adsorption isotherms data fitted with the Langmuir isotherm (R-squared value of 0.9). Furthermore, the nanofluid has demonstrated appreciable foam stability due to the good foam morphologies observed. It was found that PSNP nanofluid decreased the IFT of the oil/brine system from 6.22 mN/m to a low level of 1 x 10^-2 mN/m. Additionally, the nanofluid changed the wettability to a 10% water-wet state. Consequently, PSNP biosurfactant foam can be utilized in foam flooding enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technique.

Manufacture and Perception of Portable Television Stand Prototype from Resin-Treated Kelempayan

2025-04-11T23:59:58+08:00

This study explores the use of resin-treated kelempayan (Neolamarckia cadamba) as a sustainable raw material for a portable television stand prototype. The use of kelempayan as an alternative material to hardwood species promotes the use of fast-growing species that can be harvested and replanted, ensuring the long-term sustainability of tropical forest resources. However, kelempayan is a light hardwood species that requires treatment to increase its durability. The aims of this study are to determine the dimensional stability properties of treated kelempayan with phenol formaldehyde resin and, to evaluate the perception of a portable television stand prototype made from resin-treated kelempayan wood on raw material, design, marketing and satisfaction. Treated specimens showed better stability, as evidenced by the significant 101% increase in weight percent gain, 86.3% in anti-swelling efficiency, 133% in resistance to water absorption, 100% in leaching and 35% bulking enhancement through PF resin infilling into the cell lumens. Thus, increasing the chemical concentration and enhancing biological resistance and dimensional stability make it a viable option for furniture manufacturers. Besides, the analysis showed significant positive correlations, with satisfaction moderately linked to raw material (r = 0.569), and strongly associated with design (r = 0.735) and marketing (r = 0.764). The findings on consumers' satisfaction indicated that the use of treated kelempayan as an alternative raw material for furniture is acceptable. Meanwhile, the portable and simple design of the product demonstrates the potential for sustainable raw materials to be used in the production of green products that meet consumers' needs and preferences. Overall, this study contributes to the knowledge of sustainable raw materials for green products and promotes the use of alternative materials that are environmentally friendly and socially responsible. The use of resin-treated kelempayan as a sustainable raw material for a portable television stand is a step towards a more sustainable and eco-friendly furniture industry.

Computational Assessment of Electrostatic Field Profiles Near High-Voltage Transmission Systems in Malaysia via Finite Difference and Crank-Nicolson Schemes

2025-03-24T09:44:45+08:00

Unconstrained exposure of humans and their immediate environments to electrostatic fields generated by high-voltage transmission lines has raised a lot of concerns regarding public health safety. These transmission lines, often sited near human residential and urban areas, may pose long-term health risks depending on the strength and duration of exposure. Various studies have linked prolonged exposure to electromagnetic fields to various health conditions, including neuropsychological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and central nervous system complications. While high-voltage transmission lines are essential for efficient power distribution, their proximity to populated areas necessitates regulatory policies to mitigate potential risks. This study aims to analyse the spatial variation and intensity of the electrostatic field distribution around high-voltage power transmission lines in Malaysia, using two numerical methods, considering the country’s infrastructure features and regulatory emphasis on public exposure limits. The Finite Difference Method (FDM) and the Crank-Nicolson Method (CNM) are applied to solve Laplace’s Equation, which governs electrostatic potential, field intensity and distribution. Factors such as voltage levels, tower configurations, and conductor height are considered in the analysis. The study compares the accuracy, convergence rate, computational efficiency, and execution time of both numerical techniques to determine which of the methods is more suitable to solve such a problem. Our result demonstrates that FDM is fundamentally more suited for solving the Laplace equation governing electrostatic potential, field intensity, and spatial distribution due to its direct discretisation of spatial derivatives while using CNM in this context only introduces unnecessary complexity and computational overhead without providing any benefits in returns. The study provides insights into safe management practices by identifying critical zones of elevated electrostatic field intensity, indicating minimum safe distances for human exposure, and supporting infrastructure planning in accordance with Malaysian regulatory standards.

Modeling Environmental Impact Factor of Harmful Chemical Compounds in Polluted Water Discharge in Offshore Installations

2025-04-23T13:22:01+08:00

The development of a novel model to study the fate and environmental impact factor (EIF) of harmful chemical compounds in polluted water discharges from an offshore installation in Nigeria's marine environment was carried out in this study. The developed numerical fate model incorporates the environmental impact factor, , derived stochastically on a specific fuzzy logic-based framework, and the boundary value problem of the resulting fate and EIF model was solved via finite element method in MATLAB environment and the Dose-related Risk and Effects Assessment Model (DREAM) software using prevailing field and meteorological conditions of the marine environment. The fate concentrations of oil dispersants, harmful heavy metals (such as copper and mercury), and aromatic compounds (such as naphthalene, benzene-toluene-ethylbenzene-xylene (BTEX)) simulated at polluted water discharge rates of 3,000, 5,000, 25,000 and 75,000 barrels/day (bpd)) and average temperature of 27^oC were used to compute EIFs of harmful chemical compounds in the marine environment. The results showed the produced water (PW) discharged volume and the corresponding EIF. For produced water discharge rates of 3,000, 5,000, 25,000 and 75,000 bpd, the simulated EIFs are 0, 5.6135, 5.3072 and 3.7150respectively, which is indicative of environmental risk far greater than the commonly accepted 5% risk margin in the water column in the cases of 5,000, 25,000 and 75,000 bpd. Higher risk impact derived from higher discharge rates may be effectively handled by water dilution and transport.

Kinetic and Thermodynamic Studies of Extraction Process for Soluble Sugars and Juice Yield from Sweet Sorghum

2025-03-26T12:24:20+08:00

In this study, the kinetic and thermodynamics study of solid-liquid extraction of sweet sorghum juice was carried out. Five kinetic models namely Patricelli, Peleg, log, power and Page’s models were tested in order to determine the one that best fits the recovery of soluble solids (RSS) and the juice yield data obtained at 35–65 ℃ and 0–100 minutes. The assessment of the performance of the models was achieved from statistical data such as , adjusted , root mean square error (RMSE), and percentage average absolute relative deviation (AARD) obtained by comparing the experimental data with the predicted date. The thermodynamic parameters determined were activation energy (), enthalpy change (), entropy change (), and free energy change (). The results showed that the RSS and juice yield increased with an increase in the temperature with the highest values achieved at 65 ℃. The extraction process was the fastest at the beginning until after 10 minutes when the effect of time became insignificant. Also, Patricelli’s model had the best performance while Page’s model had the worst performance. Finally, the extraction processes were endothermic (positive enthalpy change), reversible (negative entropy change), and not spontaneous but endergonic (positive free energy change). The determination of these kinetic and thermodynamic parameters will help in understanding the extraction mechanisms, scaling up and designing the extraction process, and improving energy efficiency.